Your Guide to Lent 2009
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The penitential season of Lent begins this year on Ash Wednesday, February 25th. Passion (or Palm) Sunday, April 5th, marks the beginning of Holy Week. Easter is celebrated on April 12th. Here are the Lenten Regulations on fast and abstinence:
Fasting -- With regard to the seriousness of the matter, the obligation to do penance is a serious one; the obligation to observe, as a whole or substantially, the penitential days specified by the Church is also serious. No one should be scrupulous in this regard; failure to observe individual days of penance is not considered serious; rather it is the failure to observe any penitential days at all or a substantial number of days which must be considered serious. People should seek to do more rather than less; fast and abstinence on the days prescribed; works of religion and charity on the Fridays outside Lent should be considered a minimal response to the Lord's call to penance and conversion of life.
Abstinence -- Everyone over 14 years of age is bound to observe the law of abstinence. Abstinence from meat is to be observed on all Fridays within the season of Lent and Passiontide and on Ash Wednesday. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, everyone over 18 and up to the beginning of their 60th year is also bound to observe the law of fast. On these two days, only one full meatless meal is allowed. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one's needs; but together they should not equal another full meal. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, therefore, are the only days of both fast and abstinence.
Easter Duty -- After they have been initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, all the faithful are bound by the obligation of receiving Communion at least once a year. This precept must be fulfilled during the Easter season, unless for a good reason it is fulfilled at another time during the year. This obligation may be fulfilled between February 10th (First Sunday in Lent) and May 18th (Trinity Sunday).
Reconciliation (Confession) -- Catholics are bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year (Canon 989).
Obligation -- The obligation which we have as members of the Church to do penance is a serious one. Furthermore, the obligation to observe, as a whole or "substantially", the penitential days specified by the Church is a serious one. While no one should hold himself or herself lightly excused, one should not become unduly scrupulous. Failure to observe individual days of penance is less serious than the failure to observe any penitential days at all or a substantial number of such days.